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The rise of the "side hustle"

4 March 2019

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A new poll has found that one in five British adults has at least one extra source of income outside of their main employment.

The survey by OnePoll for notonthehighstreet polled 2,000 adults and found that these budding entrepreneurs have an average of two side projects. One in ten juggles four extra enterprises and another four in ten would like to start one.

The study found side hustlers spend, on average, four hours a week on their venture outside of their full-time work. Most have been maintaining their side hustle for an impressive 17 years - while one in five has been going strong for more than three decades.

Art and prints, jewellery-making and personalised goods were among some of the more creative endeavours Brits are pursuing. Other popular enterprises include home-grown food produce, beer brewing, candle-making and book writing.

Skilled crafts, food and drinks and education came top of the list of side hustles that women are likely to be involved in, while technology and gaming emerged as male-dominated ones.

While men are more likely to already have a side venture on the go, more women are considering one for the future. Of the women who actively run their own side business, a third said they did so to make more money and 82% generate profit from their business ventures.

In fact, two-thirds of women said they are happier doing their side projects than their main job and half wish they had started their venture sooner. One in seven spends more than ten extra hours a week on their side hustle.

Ella d'Amato, chief commercial and marketing officer for notonthehighstreet, said: "Of the six million businesses in Britain, only one-fifth are run by women. So it's fantastic to see this community taking matters such as flexible working, creative fulfilment and self-confidence into their own hands."